Every Song Ends Someday
by montparnassee
Summary: Christine has left the Opera House with Raul, but she wasn't prepared for him to be so abusive. She's scared, and she's confused, and she needs her Erik more than anything. Of course he'll take her in again, but things will be different this time.HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

The chords were wrong, the key was off, and it was almost like the piece was staccato instead of legato - except things were never that simple. Erik threw the paper down with disgust. It was all that despicable Christine's fault. His Christine. He let out an audible groan, resting his head in his gloved hands. How had he, _the _Phantom of the Opera, _the _Opera Ghost, _the _greatest composer that had ever lived, been destroyed so by a mere _woman? _It was despicable. Erik had _never _let anyone into his life, no one had slipped under his skin, no one had ever seen under his mask. Until her. Christine Daae. What had been so different about her? He clenched his fist furiously. Was it her ivory skin, or the way her dark brown hair contrasted it perfectly? Was it the way she so gracefully danced? Or... perhaps it was her voice. Yes. She was the one whose voice perfectly completed his. Even more than that... It was Christine who was destined to sing in his compositions. No one else could ever take the woman's place. His Christine...

A guttered sob escaped his throat as a single tear slid from his good eye. He wouldn't sink this low. He wouldn't let her effect him like this. He couldn't. He couldn't. He was Erik. She would not destroy him like this.

As he rose, he pulled his cape on with a cold anger. It was all that artless, idle-headed fop's fault. The viscount had taken his Christine away from him! _His _Christine. She wouldn't be who she was without Erik! Raoul wouldn't have known she was at the opera house without Erik!

He was going to get her back. His Christine would be his again, and that bloody fool would no longer be a bother to either of them. Stopping only for a minute to select a sword from his collection and sheath it, he strode towards the exit from his lair. There were quicker and easier, less populated, ways to leave the Opera House, but this way went through Christine's old, and now deserted, dressing room. For old time's sake.

The room hadn't been touched since she'd left. All over the room were now dead flowers from her fans. They were placed haphazardly around her room, as if she didn't care one bit about them. But... one thing caught his eye. Carefully arranged in a glass vase were a dozen roses - all with a black ribbon wrapped around their stem. His eyes widened with shock. _His _black ribbon. Those were the roses he'd given her. His roses. She'd cared. She'd cared. _His _Christine! The roses were dead now, but she'd been gone from the opera house for a month. It was explainable. His sword clattered to the ground with surprise as it hit him. She hadn't tried to remove all traces of him from her life. He... he might still have a chance.

Before he decided what he was going to do, his eyes lit upon a small chest in the corner. It wasn't so much the box itself that caught his attention, but the card shoved under it. It.. it looked like it had been done in haste, as it hadn't slid all the way under. There was only a "k" visible. He bent down, hands shaking, to slide it out from under the box, trying desperately not to rip it.

"K... I... R... E..." he whispered the letters as they each became visible. Erik. The letter was to him.

His hands were, at that point, shaking so hard he could barely open the letter.

When he finally opened it, it took him a moment to gather enough courage to read it.

_Dear Erik,_

_I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I know you must be in pain, in so much pain. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you like this. Oh, Erik. My angel of music. My Erik. After I gave you back the ring, I hated you. I hated you, Erik, I hated you for so long. I hated you, and I was terrified of you. Of your fierce rage. Erik, you have to understand. I was scared, and in my fear I acted. You now must know that I am engaged to Raul. I'm sorry, Erik, I'm sorry. By the time you're reading this, I'll have left the Opera House. For good. I was scared, Erik, so scared. That is the reason I agreed; even though now, I regret it, with all my fault. I must hurry, Erik, Raul is coming. We leave very soon, my Erik. I need to tell you this._

_I need you, Erik. I need my angel of music. I have felt so empty, so alone, like you've abandoned me. I suppose you feel the same. I'm sorry Erik. I don't deserve you. Please, Erik, please. Help me. I'm scared, and alone, and I don't understand anything anymore. Please, my Erik. He's hurting me. If I even mention you, he hurts me. Erik, I'm scared. Some nights he'll come home drunk and... Erik... Please, Erik, please. I need you. I need you, Erik, I need you. Help me._

_Christine_

Her signature was sloppy. It was clear she'd hurried with it.

"Christine." he whispered, pressing the letter against his cool skin, his face both soft and angry. It burned the disfigured side of his face, he'd forgotten his mask; he had no reason to wear it when he was alone. There were no mirrors in his lair to remind him of his hideous face. His Christine needed him. His Christine was crying out for him. His Christine...

"I'm coming Christine. He will never lay a finger on you again." he uttered a whispered promise, before rushing back to his lair, careful to pick up his sword on the way.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N_

_I'm sorry, but this is a shorter chapter. I know, I'm sorry, but it felt right to end it here, so I did. Thank you so much to all who've reviewed/favorited/subscribed. I promise - next chapter will be longer. I don't know when I'll have it up, school's started again. _

There was nothing Erik wanted to do more than run straight to Christine, to swoop her out of the viscount's arms. But Erik knew better than that. He was so much smarter than that; walking straight in would cause issues. His brow furrowed with frustration. He had to get her out, but he had no idea what her situation was. He couldn't live with himself if she was hurt anymore because of him - she needed him. He could hear her desperate voice already; he could hear her screaming, and crying.

"Stop." he commanded, jaw clenching. He had to focus. He had to focus. His Christine's life could be in danger. His Christine's life was in danger.

Ah, there it was. He nodded with satisfaction, pulling the document from the huge stack sitting beside his bed. Her new address.. It was in Levallois-Perret. Less than half an hour away. A sigh of relief slid from his mouth before he could restrain it. He could be there within the hour if needed. But first...

"Meg." he spoke as he stepped from the corner, stopping the ballerina in her tracks.

"Erik!" she yelped with surprise, before hastily covering her mouth, terrified of two things. The first and most definite was his anger - and the second was being found.

As much as she loathed to admit it, she'd fallen in love with the man. She barely ever saw him, indeed only seeing him when he needed her. The young ballerina hated their relationship, and the fact that she'd still fallen in love with him. It was scandalous. Worse. It was blasphemous.

Indeed, he did need something. Information. That in itself was nothing new, but what he wanted to know was. Details on Christine's situation. Christine had made Meg swear on her life not to tell Erik how bad it was; but with the look on Erik's face, Meg decided it would be key to ensure her survival to tell him all she knew.

No detail was spared. The ill-concealed bruises that had covered Christine's body. The obvious lack of sleep in the young girl. How over-bearing Raoul was.

Erik's anger grew as Meg continued to speak in hushed tones, praying no one would walk down this corridor.

Why hadn't Christine came to him? He was not only furious at her, but at Raoul. The girl _must _have been able to slip away. But why didn't she? The Phantom's face twisted behind his mask; determined to set the girl right. No more would she do this to him. Not ever again. He was going to save her, and then he was going to set her straight.

"I've heard enough." he growled, and without another word to little Meg Giry, he stormed away.

He knew all he needed to know, and now he was furious. At who, not even he knew. Christine, Raoul, Meg, the entire damn world? Yes, that was probably it.


End file.
